Josey Wales (born Joseph Winston Sterling, 9 October 1958) is a Jamaican dancehall singer. He has been called, along with Brigadier Jerry, Yellowman and sound system partner Charlie Chaplin, one of the best Jamaican dancehall deejays of the 1980s. Wales is named after the 1976 Western movie character from The Outlaw Josey Wales, played by Clint Eastwood, and subsequently nicknamed "The Outlaw".
His career began in 1977, first starting as a deejay on the Roots Unlimited sound-system where he often sparred with Burro Banton, He gained even more popularity in the early 1980s performing over Henry "Junjo" Lawes's Volcano sound system, and recording singles such as "Bobo Dread" and "Leggo Mi Hand" (which peaked at number four on the Jamaican singles chart) for Lawes' label of the same name,
He was shot and robbed in a Kingston bar in 1997, an incident that he dealt with in the country and western song "Bushwacked".
Personal life
Josey is a Rastafarian and has been since 1975 but also retains a major influence of Christianity. He was baptized in May 1959. He currently resides in Kingston.
Discography
This discography is incomplete; you can help by adding missing albums/singles.
Albums and later single
- 1983 – Josie Wales Meets Early-B